'Lets battle the bingers'

Home Secretary Theresa May will today vow to "reclaim the streets" from drunken louts causing misery in towns across Britain. She will declare war on binge drinking, saying Labour's 24-hour alcohol experiment has left the country with an £8billion-a-year hangover of booze-fuelled crime. Mrs May will unveil new laws to combat the problem. She wants residents to have more say on alcohol licences. It will also be easier for cops to block an application. Fines for selling booze to underage youngsters will double - to £20,000 - The Sun​

Designated drivers will get free soft drinks as a reward for staying sober as part of a Christmas drink-drive campaign launched today. The Think! campaign has linked up with Coca-Cola for the buy one, get one free deal in more than 8,000 pubs. Tv, radio and pub toilet advertising starts today and runs until January 2 in the Government's £550,000 effort to get the message across that drink-driving kills - The Mirror​

Super strength lager will be hammered by higher taxes, Downing Street said yesterday. Beer containing more than 7.5 per cent alcohol will face extra duties from autumn 2011. The March budget is expected to reveal the details. The government will also look to reduce tax on beers that contain less than 2.8 per cent alcohol - CITY AM​

People in Wirral are being asked if they think the borough should back minimum alcohol pricing. The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (Agma) wants to create a by-law to make it illegal to sell alcohol for less than 50p per unit. The idea, designed to address public order and health issues, already has the support of health officials in Merseyside and Cheshire. Residents are being asked for opinions as part of a Merseyside-wide survey - BBC​